Core for curing tires



E. wRlHT. CORE FOR CURING TIRES. APPLICATION FILED ]AN.3, I92I- Patented Mar. 1, 192,1.

UNITED STATES EDWARD WRIGHT, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

CORE FOR CURING TIRES.

Application tiled January 3, 1921.

T0 all whom t may concern: i

Be it known that I, EDWARD VRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cores for Curing Tires.y of which the following is a vspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to an expansible core for curing or vulcanizing pneumatic tires and the like.

In the manufacture of pneumatic tires it has been customary to cure the same on what is vknown as an air bag, which consists of a fiexible annular tube adapted to be inserted in the carcass of the tire and adapted to receive fluid under pressure, such as air or steam, which expands the same against the walls of the carcass. These bags, or flexible cores, are expensive to build and are of short life and add materially to the cost of the tire. It has been proposed to provide an expansible metal bag constructed in sections to be inserted in the tire carcass and expanded againstthe walls thereof. Diiiculty has been experienced, however, in providing a metal bag which will have uniform expansion throughout the length of each section, which can bereadily inserted in and Yremoved from the tire carcass and which will be inexpensive to manufacture.

The object of the present invention is to provide a metallic core which will be very simple in its construction and which can be built at a low cost.

A further object is to provide such a core which will have uniform expansion throughout. the length of each section thereof and which can be readily inserted in and removed from the tire.

A further object of the invention :is to Vprovide an expansible core of this lcharacter Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

Serial No. 434,504.

. therein.

In these drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention, together with a slight modification thereof, and have shown the same as comprising an expansible casing l, which is preferably formed ofv sheet metal and, as here shown, consists of a single piece of resilient sheet metal bent to conform to the shape of the tire and having its edges overlapping, but disconnected one from the other, along the outer -portion of the casing, as shownat 2, that is, along that portion of the casing adjacent to the tread of the tire. 'Ihe casing is preferably formed of light weight metal so that the overlapping edges of the same do not form an objectiona-ble projection on the surface of the casing. Where the core is to be used for curing a tire carcass as a whole the casing must be made up in sections so thatit can be inserted in and removed from the carcass, and the ends of the sections, as shown in Fig. l, abut one against the other. The joints between the abutting sections are ra dial with the exception of those of one section which must be inclined to the radius of the core in such a manner as to permit this one section to be drawn inwardly, thereby collapsing the core and permitting the other sections to be removed. Preferably the ends of the abutting sections overlap to form a continuous supporting surface for the carcass. As here shown, each section of vthe tire has its upper portion projecting beyond one lend thereof, as shown at 3, and

.its lower portion projecting beyond the other end thereof, as shown at 4, the projecting portions being substantially semicircular in shape, and when the adjacent ends of the two sections are brought linto abutting engagement the upper portion of the one section willv overlap the upper portion of the other and the lower portion of said other section will overlap Athe lower portion .of the first mentioned section.

In order to vexpand the casing tightly againstthe wall' of the carcass I have linserted therein a pressure element which is preferably tubular in form'and adapted to receive Huid under pressure, such as compressed air or steam, which will so act on the pressure element as to extend or expand the same and thus exert outward pressure on the walls of the casing, expanding the same from theY casing. character it will be apparent that the proagainst the carcass. In the preferred form of the pressure element it comprisesa metallic tube 5 of relatively small diameter which is coiled within the casing in such a manner that it will engage the walls thereof. In the present construction, I have shown this tube as coiled 'about an axis extending lengthwise of the casing, the coils being sub-V stantially circular and of such a diameter lthat they will bear against the walls ofthe ble in character and, as shown in Fig. 4 is flattened and when steam or air under Ypressure is introduced into the same it will extend or expand, within the casing, thus exerting outward pressure thereon. It will be understood that thc expansion necessary to be imparted to the casing is very slight, usually not over one-eighth of an inch and, consequently, a large degree'of expansibility is not necessary to the proper operation of the pressure element. The ends of the coils of adjacent sections are connected one to the other so as to form a continuous pressure elementextending entirely about the annular casing. As here shown, the ends of the tubes extend inwardly through the casingnear the end thereof, as shown at 7, and are connected one to the other by a U-shaped coupling 8. If desired, the ends of theV openings in the casing may be in the form of slots, `as shown at 9, so that the coil may be readily withdrawn The' coil being of flexible jecting portion 7 at one end thereof may be *bent into line with the body of the coil so that the coil' as awhole may be drawn through the casing toward the opposite end thereof. Fluid .under pressure may be introduced into the pressure element in any suitable manner but I preferthat the out- `wardly projecting portions ofthe coils at v one vof the joints shall constitute lan inlet tube and an outlet tube, as shown'at 10 and l1 in Fig. l, the inlet tube being adapted to Y be connected with the sourceV of supply for fluid under pressure and the outlet tube being controlled in any suitable manner. It

' will be noted thatv the helical coil is well adapted to application to the segmental sections of the,V casingv as it will conform itself lreadily to the curved shape ofthe sections j and the' outer portions of the end coils may be sections, thus causing the pressure to be expositioned near the outer edges of the Y ertedv uniformly at all points along the length of the casing. The several sections of the casing may be fastened together, to form an annular core, in any suitable manner, but, as here shown, I have embodied two clamping rings 12 of an outer diameter ksubstantially that of the inner diameter of the casing so that they will abut against the inner circumference of the casing. These clamping rings are recessed to receive the projecting portions 7 of the coils and when `clamped onto these projecting portions by means of bolts 13 they will rigidly connect the sections one to the other, it being understood, of course, that the clamping rings are applied to the core after the several sections have been inserted in the carcass of the tire.

When the core is used for repair purposes or where it is desired to vulcanize a portion only of the tire a single section is used and this section corresponds substantially in construction to that above shown and described, but instead of having the ends ofthe core 5 extended through the inner walls of the casing these ends are arranged *centrally of the coil, as shown at lll in Fig.

to be liable to injury should the core be subjected to rough usage.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that I have provided a very simple and` Yvery efficient expansible metallic core and that this core can be produced at a very low cost as it includes but few parts and i these are of such a character that they canV be quickly and inexpensively manufactured. rurther. the core is of such a character that it can be very easily placed within the tire and the several sections assembled to form a single core. Moreover, the' core is of a very strong, durable character and has no parts which are liable to wear out and thus shorten the life of the tire. The only place where leak might occur is, of course, in

the tubular coil and this coil can ithdrawn for repair.

While I have' shownt and described one embodiment of my invention, I wishV it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof as various modiications may occur to a person skilled in the Having now fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by be readily `Letters Patent is 1. VIn a vulcanizing core for tires and the like, an expansible casing, a pressure element mounted within said casing and means for 'introducing uid under pressure into said pressure element to cause the same Vto exert outward pressure on said expansible casing.

2. In a vulcanizing core for tires and the like, an expansible casing of resilient metal, a tubular pressure element mounted within said casing', and means for introducing liuid under pressure into said pressure element to cause the same to exert outward pressure on the wall of said casing.

3. lin a vulcanizing core for tires and the like, an expansible casing, a plurality of coils of tubing arranged within said casing to engage the walls thereof, and means for introducing fluid under pressure into said coils.

et. In a vulcanizing core for tires and the like, an expansible casing, tubing mounted within said casing, coiled about an axis extending lengthwise of said casing, and arranged to engage the walls thereof, and means for introducing fluid under pressure into said tubing.

5. in a vulcanizing core for tires and the like, an expansible casing comprising a plurality of segmental sections adapted to be assembled with their adjacent ends abutting one against the other, a section of tubing coiled in each section of said casing, means Jfor connecting said coils one to the other at the adjacent` ends of the sections of said casing, and means for introducing fluid under pressure intorsaid coil.

G. n a vulcanizing core for tires and the like, an expansible casing comprising a plurality of segmental sections adapted to be assembled in annular form with their adj a cent ends abutting one against the other, a plurality of coils of flexible tubing arranged in each section of said casing, said tubing being coiled about an axis extending lengthwise of said sections, the ends of the tubing in each section extending inwardly through the wall of said casing, means for connecting the ends of the tubing of the respective sections of said casing, and means for introducing fluid under pressure into said tubing.

7. In a vulcanizing core for tires and the like, an expansible casing comprising a plurality of segmental sections adapted to be assembled in annular form with their adjacent ends abutting one against the other, a plurality of coils of 'flexible tubing arranged in each section of said casing, said tubing being coiled about an axis extending lengthwise of said sections, the ends of the tubing in each section extending inwardly through the wall of said casing, means for connecting the ends of the tubing of the respective sections of said casing, and means for introducing fluid under pressure into said tubing, and clamping rings arranged to engage the inner circumference of said annular casing and to be clamped onto the inwardly projecting ends of said tubing.

8. In a vulcanizing core for tires and the like, an expansible casing having its wall divided along the outer portion thereof, the edges of said wall being arranged to overlap to form a continuous supporting surface, and tubing coiled Within said casing and arranged to bear against the Walls thereof, and means to introduce Huid under pressure into said tubing.

9. 1n a vulcanizing core for tires and the like, an expansible casing comprising a plurality of segmental sections having their adliacent ends abutting one against the other and provided with overlapping portions, a tubular conduit coiledl in each section of said casing and arranged to engage the walls thereof, means for connecting the conduits of adjacent sections one to the other, and means for introducing fluid under pressure into said conduits.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature hereto.

EDWARD WRIGHT. 

